TURKISH AMERICAN HOLOCAUST DENIERS IN ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED CYPRUS

For Immediate Release: August 15, 2008
Contact: Nikolaos Taneris, New York, Tel. 1-917-699-9935

NEW YORK--The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) is concerned with the
“formal Turkish American delegation” to illegally occupied Cyprus, organized by
Turkish American Holocaust deniers, and foreign agents of the Assembly of
Turkish American Associations (ATAA).

In the announcement covering the “delegation trip” prominently displayed on the
ATAA website, false historical revisionism is used to equate the liberation
struggle in Cyprus. It also falsely applies the early years of the Republic of
Cyprus to images and events from the tragedy of the Holocaust of European Jewry.
The glaring use of Holocaust Relativism/ Holocaust denial by ATAA is notable.
Explicitly, the ATAA claims that the Republic of Cyprus was hamlet ting Turks in
“concentration camps, and killing them.”

Misappropriation of terms such as “concentration camps” which come from the
imagery of the Holocaust to falsely describe the situation of the Turkish
Cypriots is particularly appalling. Not only were there no such camps in
existence in Cyprus for Turks. The Cypriots did not starve millions of people to
death, did not force and did not have inmates to work under brutal conditions,
and did not send them to gas chambers if they were "unfit" to work. Mis- using
the language of the Holocaust-- referring to “concentration camps” for Turks in
Cyprus diminishes and trivializes those who really suffered in concentration
camps, the Jewish people.

ATAA has been amongst the most active groups engaging in Genocide denial. In
recent years, it filed a lawsuit in the State of Massachusetts demanding that
information denying genocide be included in the public school system’s Holocaust
and Genocide education curriculum. Long volumes of Genocide denial literature
are offered prominently on their website, some authored by their own
President-Elect Gunay Evinch, in the attempt to falsely hurl blame onto the
victims of Turkish crimes. For instance, ATAA falsely accuses Greeks of Genocide
in Cyprus, and argues that Greece invaded Cyprus!

The ATAA with chapters all over the United States is one of the organizations
FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds has called “semi-legit”- meaning that some of
its activities are underground and illegal. Edmonds revealed in several
interviews with Vanity Fair and the Sunday Times and numerous alternative and
progressive news outlets on the overwhelming evidence of money laundering,
illegal arms sales, and illegal drug activities, directly linked to Turkish
espionage discovered by FBI wiretaps of Turkish Embassy officials, and its
allies, including the ATAA .

David Rose, contributing editor to Vanity Fair, wrote an expose on FBI wiretaps
of the Turkish Embassy and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA),
and the American Turkish Council (ATC), the article highlights a deal for
Congressman Dennis Hastert to receive a $500,000 bribe to stop an Armenian
Genocide resolution. With such sums of cash, boastfully handed out to Turkish
collaborators in bribes to Congress, its noteworthy to mention that the Turkish
Caucus in Congress has risen to 80 members under the leadership of its founder,
the Cyprus invasion denier, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-Fl -19th), recently
charged with residency fraud. (An Inconvenient Patriot by David Rose, Vanity
Fair/September 2005 URL: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9774.htm
)

The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) is concerned with the rising
Anti-Cyprus sentiment of Turkish groups working with the Turkish government.
The time is now for all those who care for Cyprus to join our struggle. Be
proud and courageous Cypriots, join us, as we face the Turkish war and
propaganda machine, head on.

In coming months, we will launch bold and assertive actions to draw public
attention to Turkey’s crimes. One of our goals will be the campaign to make ATAA
GO AWAY.

VIDEO RESOURCES:

(1) Gunay Evinch President Elect of ATAA (Assembly of Turkish American
Associations) Sings Old MacDonald Had A Farm
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35YupEDq1Nw

(2) Mysterious Holocaust Deniers of Turkish Group: Convention
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BoVAqjflqs

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Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)
2578 Broadway #132
New York, NY 10025
New York: Tel. 917-699-9935
Email: cana@cyprusactionnetwork.org
www.cyprusactionnetwork.org
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The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) is a grass-roots, not-for-profit
movement created to support genuine self-determination and human rights for the
people of Cyprus.



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